1. Check and repair the bicycle:
After mounting the bike, always make sure that the saddle height and handlebar distance suit your needs. If the bike has ever been dropped on the ground, you should first check every part of the bike before riding it.
2. Check the automatic pedal:
Tighten the bolt screws and ferrules, as screws loosened after a long ride can cause the ferrules to twist. If the splint moves too far forward or backward, it will increase the pressure on your knees when you are pedaling and increase the risk of injury. When adjusting the splint to the ideal position, make a marker so that when the splint drifts you can quickly re-adjust it.
3. Warm up before riding:
Stretching before riding can help reduce the problem of muscle and joint stiffness when you start riding. Perform dynamic stretches for 5 to 10 minutes using cross-legged stretches and scorpion stretches to open the hips and lower back joints.
4. Control the driving frequency:
Control the rate between 90 and 115 per minute to reduce pressure on the knees, especially the patellofemoral joint. Using a lower gear ratio may lead to more gains than high-intensity driving, but at the same time increases the risk of injury.
5. Remember to relax your muscles after riding:
Use a foam roller, if possible, to relax your muscles and reduce muscle acid soreness. In particular, relaxing the IT band, quadriceps, and piriformis (inner muscle) can help you recover faster. Your hands can certainly be used to relax your muscles as well.
6. Prepare enough supplies:
Horse riding is a long duration aerobic exercise. Dehydration and physical consumption will make you feel fatigued quickly, which increases the risk of sports injuries. Sports drinks that contain electrolytes can help you replenish not only water, but also sodium chloride, magnesium, potassium, and other minerals that are lost through sweat. In addition, the banana is an effective sports supplement since it is rich in three types of sugar (fructose, sucrose and glucose), vitamin B and minerals, which are consumed in large quantities during exercise.
7. Bring portable tools:
Cycling is a semi-mechanical sport. Sudden equipment damage such as a blowout, loosening of components from road bumps are inevitable, so it is necessary to prepare a tire scoop, spare tube, portable cartridges and tools.
8. Take out insurance:
The purchase of insurance is quite necessary because the road situation is complex. Even if you try to be foolproof, accidents are inevitable. So buy the right insurance for you and then start riding your bike, worry free.
